The reverse was true.
When the Raptors missed a shot, the Lakers weren't necessarily able to launch a fast break. Even when they did, they weren't necessarily able to score.
So the gap kept widening.
With one minute left in the game, the lead had grown to 16 points.
At that point, Phil Jackson could only concede defeat.
He pulled all his starters.
The final score was 154–140, with the Raptors winning the first game by 14 points.
They had gotten off to a 1–0 start in the Finals.
This took all the experts and fans by surprise.
One team was the league's best offensive squad, with top-tier offensive players, one of the greatest coaches in history, and a top-tier offensive system.
The other had one of the greatest players in history, a five-defender lineup, and the Tsunami Brothers.
When two teams like these met, it was bound to be Mars Colliding With Earth.
They were supposed to battle tooth and nail, with the winner undecided until the final second.
Instead, the Raptors won by 14 points.
That left Wade and James at a bit of a loss for words in their postgame recap.
Wade shook his head and said with a wry smile,
"Everyone got it wrong. We all got it wrong. We thought these two teams would play until the final second before we knew who'd win. We never expected the Raptors to win by 14."
James sighed as well.
"Yeah. Basketball really is a strange game. With five minutes and seventeen seconds left, the teams were still tied. We all thought the game was about to enter its deciding moments. We didn't expect it to end like this."
As the Lakers' owner, James naturally had to help the team save face, so he continued,
"But we also